During a hearing held last week, railroads and shipper groups voiced opposite views on whether railroads should be able to continue to differentially price rail service to captive shippers once they reach revenue-adequate status.

President Barack Obama signed off on the temporary bill Friday, but indicated his frustration with Congress over the inability to approve a long-term highway bill. He noted that the lack of a long-term bill makes it hard for governors and mayors to set priorities for roads, bridges, airports and ports.

There's a lot of fine print in how USDA calculates income eligibility for farm programs under the new farm bill. Just be aware that there's no single definition of the "Adjusted Gross Income" rule that fits all individuals and business structures, as I reported from the annual American Institute of CPA agricultural meeting several weeks ago.

DTN Livestock Analyst John Harrington finds the ongoing attempt to supersede mandatory country-of-origin labeling legislation for beef and pork with voluntary legislation as both silly and a waste of time.

The House has passed a bill that would prevent the states from mandating GMO labeling. No, it does not deny Americans the right to know what's in their food. Nor, however, does it make labels any safer.

7/31 1:39PMNovember soybeans closed lower Friday, hit by USDA's news that China cancelled a previous sale of 7.3 million bushels of old-crop soybeans. Corn and wheat finished mixed in what turned out to be a quiet day of trading at the end of a bearish week for grains.

Weather

Light Rain Saturday in Plains, Midwest7/31 1:49PMThe western Midwest, the Southeast and central and Southern Plains will see some light rain Saturday. The Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley will get some of that moisture by Sunday.

Enlist Cotton ApprovedDow Waits on EPA Approval of Herbicide7/23 3:24PMUSDA has made its final decision to deregulate Dow AgroScience's Enlist cotton trait, which means all Enlist crops have been approved domestically. Now the company is only awaiting EPA approval to use its Enlist Duo herbicide in cotton.

Thu Jul 30, 2015 04:57 PM CDTThe Old World bollworm, or Helicoverpa armigera, has been detected on the western coast of Florida. This global pest has a history of insecticide and Bt resistance and is expected to become a serious pest of most U.S. crops permanently.

Thu Jul 23, 2015 09:23 AM CDTSome cover crop seed companies are expecting a rise in sales later this summer after widespread flooding and rainfall this summer left many acres empty of crops. At the same time, the drought out West could limit some supplies.

Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:07 PM CDTKnow the signs and the latest tools to combat this troubling soybean disease, which is starting to surface in some bean fields in the Midwest after soybeans got a wet start this spring and summer.

Livestock

Sky-high prices make it tempting to sell calves straight off cows. Why are these producers sticking to their programs? (DTN/Progressive Farmer image by Becky Mills)

Market MovesPreconditioning In An Up Market7/27 12:48PMWeaning and preconditioning top the list of aggravating and expensive chores for most ranchers. Calves break down fences, they need high-quality feed, and, even with all the extra work, they can still get sick and die from the stress. So why are so many producers still committed to preconditioning?

Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:55 PM CDTAsk veterinarian Ken Blue about the health program in his custom preconditioning operation, and you'll probably expect to hear about vaccination schedules and medications. Not so. What you will hear are his reasons, delivered passionately, on the necessity of keeping stress to a bare minimum.

Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:00 PM CDTSome cover crop seed companies are expecting a rise in sales later this summer after widespread flooding and rainfall this summer left many acres empty of crops. At the same time, the drought out West could limit some supplies.

Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:20 AM CDTRelentless rain and flooding have forced some farmers to declare prevented planting acres, and agronomists are urging them to consider protecting and improving that bare soil with cover crops.

Farm Business

Federal and state capital gains rates can run in excess of 40%, a level which should be encouraging sellers to consider more installment sales, advises CliftonLarsonAllen CPA Chris Hesse. (DTN photo by Elizabeth Williams)

Senior Partners - 4Why Seller Financing Fits the Bill7/30 10:00AMExcept for family sales, seller financing virtually vanished after the farm crisis of the 1980s when farmland values burst and many buyers walked away from their contracts, returning title to the original owners. Now even arm's length installment sales should become more popular due to recent tax law changes and the current interest rate environment.

Ask The Mechanic"Regen Cycle" Routine7/6 1:42PMAsk the Mechanic answers the question about how VW and German engineering was able to get by without using all of the emission-standards diesel truck and tractors have and other interesting questions.

Mon Jul 20, 2015 09:05 AM CDTFor many generations, hearing loss from loud machinery wasn't an important issue of discussion, rather men would just raise their voices when sitting around a table and talking about crop condition and cattle prices, but the CDC is recommending that wearing protective ear gear can prevent hearing loss.

Mon Jun 29, 2015 10:20 AM CDTYamaha has three new Kodiak 700 4x4 ATV models that were made specifically for "farmers and ranchers who use their machines every day" and are priced for operators who may have need for multiple machines, the company says.

Fri Jul 24, 2015 10:08 AM CDTA bipartisan bill to take beef, pork, chicken and ground meat out of the mandatory country-of-origin labeling law and establish a voluntary labeling program was introduced in the Senate on Thursday. At the same time, another House-passed bill to repeal COOL for the same products was introduced in the Senate.

Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:42 AM CDTThe biotechnology and food industries had a big victory Thursday when the House approved a bill that would stop states from establishing laws to require labeling of foods with genetically modified ingredients. But Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said he would not introduce a biotechnology labeling bill in the Senate until fall.

Wed Jul 29, 2015 02:19 PM CDTAttorneys general from 28 states suing EPA over the waters of the United States rule have asked for at least a nine-month delay in implementation of the rule, pending judicial review.

Farm Life

Time managers may fault meetings as unproductive, but the practice of regular sharing enhances communication and trust. (Photo by cerami haku, CC BY 2.0)